Top-ranked Simona Halep has rallied past Angelique Kerber 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-2 to reach the French Open semifinals.

Halep went all out in the first set but her bold strategy backfired badly as she hit 30 unforced errors. She reacted well to limit her mistakes while staying aggressive on her German opponent's service games.

"After the first set I just stayed strong, I did not give up at all," said Halep. "I missed a lot at the beginning of the match. I tried to do too much. Then I changed a little bit of tactics and it worked."

Halep is still chasing her first Grand Slam title. She led Jelena Ostapenko by a set and 3-0 in last year's final at Roland Garros. But she fell apart and eventually lost to the unseeded Latvian in her second French Open final.

Halep next faces third-seeded Garbine Muguruza.